


Anniversary

by orphan_account



Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: F/M, Remembering the Dead, Stoick the Vast (mentioned) - Freeform, deathday anniversary, post httyd2
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-16
Updated: 2015-02-16
Packaged: 2018-03-13 07:03:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 990
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3372242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hiccup wakes to another day as chief, but with a painful reminder of the past. Post HTTYD2.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Anniversary

Hiccup woke up gasping. He sat up with a jerk, panicked, then sighed and leaned forward to rest his head in his hands.

Another nightmare. It had been a while since he’d had one of those. He gulped for air until the rational part of his brain instructed him to do what he knew would help.

_Breath in. Breath out._

And so he did. Two, three, four, five…  _in and out, in and out_ … and his heart rate went down.

Just like that.

It was almost sunrise. Time to get ready. Hiccup swung his legs over the side of the bed and reached to the nightstand where his things lay. He wrapped his stump carefully, so accustomed to the task he no longer needed light for it. Next came the prosthetic. Then he stood. The metal foot clinked on the wood floor, a familiar and comfortable sound for the young chief.

“Mmm…Hiccup?”

He smiled fondly at Astrid as she turned towards him from the other side of their shared bed, her eyes still blurry from sleep. She glanced at Hiccup before sighing and closing her eyes again.

“Morning, milady.”

She groaned. Once upon a time his wife had been a morning person, but time spent helping to run the village had made her appreciate the concept of sleeping in.

Her hand patted his bare shoulder. “It’s way too early. Come back to bed.”

Hiccup chuckled a bit. “‘A chief always rises before the sun and only sleeps when his work is done,’” he said in a jaunty impersonation of his father. The small smile he’d worn at the memory of his father’s sing-songy lessons faded fast. “He always used to say that.”

The last statement was more of a whisper to himself, and Astrid didn’t catch what he had said. But bringing up Stoick always had that effect on him. It had been several months since that day, but the former chief’s passing was pain that was still healing. Though he was as stubborn as both his parents, Astrid could see the tension in Hiccup’s shoulders, the way he seemed to sag under the pressure of running the village, the dark circles under his eyes from sleepless nights caught in the claws of painful memories.

Hiccup was murmuring to himself as he hunted down a clean tunic and belt. It was probably something related to the meeting he would be holding later that day. Then the new vest Astrid made for him, similar to something he had worn shortly before creating the flight suit. The invention, though one of his finest, was one he hadn’t the need to wear in several months. In the end, putting on the armor was no longer worth the effort. Instead, Hiccup took up the fur cloak that his father and all the chiefs before him draped over their shoulders.

It was here that he stopped. Astrid, noticing the lack of motion, woke up for good this time. She saw Hiccup standing by the door, staring at the cloak hanging from it. His hand was resting on the shelf next to it, on top of his old helmet.

“Hiccup,” she said, sitting up. He still had his back turned to her. “Hiccup, look at me.”

He turned, and Astrid saw all the pain and sorrow still inside him when their gazes met. She slowly got out of bed and gave her husband a hug.

He froze for a second, but melted into it after a shuddering breath.

“I don’t understand, Astrid,” he gasped, fingers digging into her back. “I know I still… but, it’s been a year!”

“And it’s okay to have bad days,” she replied, running her fingers through his hair. “People don’t heal overnight.”

He pulled away slightly, but didn’t let go of her. He looked down and nodded.

She brushed his bangs out of his eyes. “Did you have another nightmare?”

He didn’t reply, but she still knew the answer.

“Hiccup…”

“I’m fine. I just, need a moment.”

“Breakfast?” she offered.

He shook his head. “I’ll just eat in the Great Hall with everyone else. You should rest a bit more. I’m sorry I woke you.”

“Maybe you could take a break?”

“A break?”

He sounded incredulous.

“Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten what those are!” she joked.

He laughed. “I remember what breaks are! I’m not  _that_  hopeless. Yet. But why would I need a break?”

“You’re running yourself ragged, Hiccup. Everyone’s worried about you: your mom, Gobber, me, Toothless. Heck, even Snotlout’s noticing something.”

She paused to collect herself. “You know, I think you should go out there for a few days. Explore the world again. Take Toothless and the map, some supplies. Camp under the stars. Find new dragons.” She reached behind him to where his flight suit was sitting, collecting dust. “Maybe even fly on your own for a bit?”

Hiccup sighed. “Oh Astrid… if only I could.”

“No one would blame you for it. They’d push for it, I know they would.”

“I know that, but—“

“Hush.” She put a finger to his lips. “I get it. That in itself would take a long time to plan. And I’m not saying you should just pack your bags and leave today. Maybe in a couple of weeks though? Before winter. Just consider it. For me.”

He looked down at her—his wife, his rock—into her endless blue eyes. Into the hope and trust she had.

“…I’ll think about it.”

And with that he left, cloak in hand. Astrid watched as Hiccup’s back receded down the hill and into the village. This was going to be a hard day for everyone, she could tell. Sighing, she shut the door and began to prepare for the day. She had to look descent, after all.

It wasn’t right to show up to the former chief’s deathday celebration looking like she’d just rolled out of bed.

One year, to the day.

**Author's Note:**

> Also posted on my Tumblr.


End file.
